So I was interested in what the lowest sv% was in the playoffs to win a cup since the lockout given how abysmal Skinner's stats have been.
Colorado (2022) - Francouz .906/ Kuemper .902
Pittsburgh (2009) - MAF .908
Chicago (2010) - Niemi - .910
So its possible with average to below average goaltending. The majority of cup winners have Sv% ranging from .915 to .940 with most of those in the .920-930 range.
Think thats even more reason to give Pickard a chance if Skinner throws up another .8xx type game.
Just as footnote this season and last through 14 playoff starts (all of them) Skinner has a GAA of 4 or more in 9 of those games. For most clubs that would be a death sentence. Its amazing the Oilers even win some of those games but in hockey, and especially in playoffs you don't commonly win games where your goalie lets in 4 or more on average.
Keeping in mind as well there is no goalie in the entire NHL that is getting even double digit starts the last two seasons while sporting a Save % as bad as .879 or a GAA of 3.81. No other team is remaining with that kind of statline and saying "this is our starter"
Fact of the matter of all the goalies in the NHL past two seasons that have played considerable games only ONE. Vitek Vanacek, who has played 7 games has worse playoff stats than Skinner.
So that its not even a matter of rolling the dice with Skinner and hoping for a good roll. Its been a bad roll 914 times in playoffs. So that the Oilers are having a .350 probability of having a strong start from Skinner each time they play him in playoffs. Realizing that 14 games doesn't make this a definitive matter but there is no change in fortunes the longer this goes on. There hasn't been one yet.
Heres another scary thing. In Skinners last 9 playoff starts he's allowed 4 or more goals in 7 of those games. Thats .777 of those games.